Tobacco stemming machine



'April-5, 1932. J, J, CAUDLE 1,852,147

TOBAGCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1928 snets-sheet .1

VENTOR April 5, 1932- J. J. cAuDLE TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet E?? BY a [I V ,I I/ a ATT R Yj kgb Patented Apr. 5, 1932 N orrs srarss 'riArsNr sie JOSEPH JEROME CA'U'DLE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGIA TOBACCO COVIPANY, BRITAIN 'roBcoo swarm/:ING MACHINE Application filed November 22, 1928.' Seria'ilNo'. 321,058.

This invention relates to a stemming machine for the purpose of separating 'the stem of a leaf from the web or body portlon by'- drawing the stern outwar from the web. 't pertains more particularly to the stemming of tobacco leaves and has a wide use in the tobacco industry because the stems of the leaf being made of a Woody ibre are obj ectionable in smoking or chewing tobaccos.

An object of this invention is the provision of a machine which will automatically remove the stem of a tobacco leaf from the web thereof without breaking off the stcm and thus leaving part of it in the web or lamin. Another object is to provide a machine which will automatically feed the leaves to the stemming means and perform a continuous operation of stemming` succsssive'leavesA A further object is to provide for the stemmng of leaves of various lengths and thlcknesses without readjustment of the mechanism or replacement of parts thereof.

And still another object is tol provide for the gripping of the leaf in suitable strip-ping members and removal therefrom without lu'eaking or tearing' the body of the leaf and thus producing an excessive amount of scrap or waste material.

This machine embraces in its generic features a cardcloth-covered revolving drumV above which is arranged' to cooperate therewith an endless lineally moving carvdcloth belt. A feeding' device is adapted to feed tobacco leaves between said drum and said belt in such manner that part of the body of the leaf will be gripped therebetween while the butt-end of the stem will project slightly beyonc the drum and belt. The leaves are carried forward by the rotation of the drum` and when in proper position, the projecting stem butts are gripped bya rocking gripper device which rocks or swings back and forth at right angles to the drum, and in timed relation therewith, As the gripper seizes a projecting stem and starts its rocking or swing-I movement a from the drum, it draws the stem from the leaf, leaving the stemmedV tobacco between the drum and the cardcloth belt.` At the end of its movement away from the drum the gripper is opened and discharges the stem. The stemmed'tobacco is carried forward around the cardcloth drum' to a point of `discharge where the tobacco is gently removed from the cardcloth drum 'without excessive scrap and is disch'arged into Va 'suitable container or conveyer.

lin the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification Wherein similar reference characters re'fer to similar parts throughout the several views, I have `illustrated a machine constiucted in'accordancewith the pfinciples of the present invention.; Fig. l is a side elevation of themachine with part of the gripper mechanism and part of the stationary cam stop cut away; Fig. 2 isan end view taken from the right side 'of Fig. 1; F ig. 3V is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating one type of gripping means; f

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view with the carding belt removed. o p i The framework of the machine is 'designed to support the various movable elements, and comprises a base portion made up of Vertical members 1, 1, 1b, V1, joined together and braced by transverse cross members 2,2221), 20,26, 2f.

A revolving drum 3 is key'ed on a shaft 4 which is journalled in bearings supported by Vertical member l? and cross member 29; This shaft is adaptedto be rotatedby a gear wheel 5 which in turn is driven by aV worm wheel 6 carried on a shaft 7 which also carries a tight and loose pulley on one end thereof as shown at 8 and 9. A suitable drive belt may be used to operatively conriect these pulleys with cooperating pulleys'attachedto a power lineshaft' A narrow strip of cardcloth 10 is attached to the periphery of drum near one'edlge outside of said drumas shown inFigs. 1 and 2. Belt 1'1 alsoV passes'aronnd vpulleysV 12 and 13 andserves to act as adriving belt for the feed mechanism and the -ciarding belt. The feeding mechanism comprises an endlessv belt 17' adapter] to run overpulleys 14 and 15. The formeris keyed on a shaft Assi'elvon 'To BRiTisH-Arennicmv ;zmiana or Lennon, ans-LAND, a oonromirronor :GREAT othereof and a feed belt 11 .engages withthe I adapted to be driven by a belt running over pulleys 18 and 19. Pulley 19 is key-ed to shaft 12 which is adapted to be rotated by belt 1.1 so that belt 11 serves to drive the feeding belt in timed relationtothe rotation of drum 3.: placed-on belt 17' with the butt end of their Vste'ms vengagmg gage boar-d 20,?as illustrated shaft 22 and revolves in a plane parallel to shown in Fig. 1.

the plane of revolutionV ofV the drum but slightly off-set from the edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the disc-like wheel will engage the projecting stems of the tobacco lleaves and move them from the feed belt 17 to the belt 11 in spaced relation to V each other. The separating wheel is equipped on its periphery with curved teeth 23 adapted to engage the proj ectingV stems as shaft 22 carries the carding belt so that the sep'arating wheel 21 is revolved in synchronism 'with the carding belt. i i a a A stationary carding brush 24 (Figs. 1 and 5) cooperates with the separating wheel to. aid it in positioning the stems of the leaves in proper relation to each other.

After leaving belt 17 and Separator wheel 21 the leaves pass along belt 11 between drum 3'and carding lbelt 25. This belt is equipped with carding cloth and runs on Vpulleys 26 Van d`27 which are mountedon shafts 22 and 28 respectively, journalled in suitable bearings von the frame members. This belt lies in the same plane as the strip of carding cloth 10 mountedon'the edge of drum 3, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,1 so that the belt and the cardwork of the machine.

ing cloth strip 10 readily cooperate, Vas shown in Fig. 1, for part of the circumference of drum 3. That part ofthe -belt which-is in contact with drum 3 is adapted to travel in the same direction as drum 3, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1.

:A discharge belt 30 runs on pulleys 27 31 and 32 which are mounted on shafts 28,33 and 34 respectively which in turn are journalled in bearings mounted upon' the frame- As'shown in Fig.. 3 belt30 travels in the same plane as belt 11 and-;contactsand cooperateswith belt 11 at 36A (Fi'g. 1)A so thatV leaves traveling along belt 11 will V'be caught between belts 11 and 80, gently disengaged from the carding cloth, and discharges froni the machina Belt 30 alsofserves totransmit power from the revolving drum 3 to the pulley 27 uponrwhich carding belt 25 is mounted so that the movement of the latter isl synchronized with the The leaves to be stemmed are 'that they will all vto 'each other.V

revolutions of drum 3. In Fgrl the arrows shown on pulleys 31, 32 and 27 indicate the clockwise direction in which they revolve.

Shaft 40' carries pulley 13 keyed thereto- Vas shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Belt 11 runs over pulley 13 and thus serves to drive shaft 110. VThis shaft Valso has keyed to it pulley 41 over which carries crossed vbelt 12 which serves to drive pulley/13 which is keyed to -and drives shaftl 34 over: which discharge belt 30 runs.

The arrangement ofcshafts, pulleys and belts serves to'connect up the revolving drum, the carding belt and the discharge belt, so operate in timed relation Mounted on one end 'of shaft 40 is a .clean--V ing brush l5 which rotates with shaft 40 in acounter clockwise Adirection (Fig. 1) and in the same planeas carding cloth strip 10.

The bristles of brush 4:5 'contact with thev stripl0,'as shown in Fig. 1, and act to remove any scrap tobacco which mightadhere to the carding cloth. o

Shaft ,34 has a similar brush mounted thereon and shown at'1l6. It rotates with shaft 34 and in a planewith carding belt 25 and is so positioned that it brushes off any scrap tobacco which might cling to belt 25.

The stemming means comprises an oscillating arm 50 pivoted on cross-member 2b at 51 and adapted to be moved toward and away from one edge of revolving drum 3 in a path at right angles to the path of travel of the leaves as they pass between drum o? and carding` belt 25. A grooved cam 52 is adapted to engage a pin 53 (shown in dotted line Fig. 2) attached to arm V50 so that pin 53 will follow the groove cut in cam 52 (shown at 511) as the cam rotates, and thus move arm 50 back and forth. Cam 52 is niounted upon and attached to shaft 55 which is jourframe. -Shaft 55 is rotated by sprocket wheel driven by a smaller sproclet wheel 58 keyed nalledin suitable bearings mounted on the i torshaft 7 'which derives its power directly o from the tight pulley' 8. Inasmuch as the revolvngdrum 3 and the oscillating arm 50 derive their power from a common shaft, i. e., shaft 7, and as the power transmission in one case is through aworm and wheel and in the other case through a chain and sprocket wheel, there will be no slip and the arm and drum will move in timed relation to each other at all times. i i o The upper end of'arm 50 carries two gripping members 60 and 61. .Each of these members comprise a pair of relatively movable jaws pivotedV at 611 and connected by a spring 65 mounted so lthat the longitudinal axis thereof passes vfrom one side of pivot 64- to the other when the jaws are moved relative to each other. The action of the spring is to or movable jaw 62 and is 53 the 'the Web or laminae of tend to hold the jawseither open or closed after they are `positioned by some outside force. This result is obtained because the end of the spring attached to the movable jaw rotates about point 64' lsoias to change the Vdirection ofV pull of the spring from one side of the pivot to the Vother as the jaws are opened or closed.`

A lug 66 extends downwardly from the rear rigidly attached thereto. A bracket 67 is secured to the upper end of frame member lZL and has two stationary arms 68 and 69 positioned so as to intercept lug 66 near each end of its path of travel as it moves towai'd and away from drum 3. Stationary arm 68 is adapted to contact with lug J66 as oscillating arm nears the end of its strolre farthest from the drum as shown in Fig. 2 and serves to separate jaws 62 and 63. Spring 65 will hold the jaWs open as oscillating' arm'50 makes its return stroke and until stationaryarm 69 contacts with 111g 66 and closes the gripper jaws on the buttend of a leaf stem as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 5, gripping member 60 is offset from drum 3 more than gripping membei' 61 and stationary cam arms 68 and 69 are Curved to compensatefor this offset and actuate'each grpping member at both ends of its strolce. The result of this offset or staggered arrangement of the gripping members is that member 61 will grip the stem and draw it about half way from the leaf, at which point movable. jaw 62 will be opened because lug 66 Strikes against stationary cam arm 68.

along belt 11 until it comes into the path of action of gripping member 60 which will draw the stemthe remainder of the way from the leaf. If the stem is drawn from the web in one operation of the stemming device the result is often a torn leaf or broken stem because the body of the i leaf is travelling at right angles to the direction of pull during this operation.A Making this stemming operation a series of short pulls rather than one long pull oures this defect. p

Grripping` member 61 is equipped with-flexible pins or bristles as shown at 70 in Fig. 2. Gripping member 60 is eq-uipped with two insulated rubber strips 71, as shown in Fig. 4:. In operation the leaves to be stemmed are 5 placed upon feed belt 17' so that the endsof their stems contact with gage plate 20, as shown in Fig. 5. The feed belt delivers them to belt llso that the body of a leaf falls on the belt 'while the butt end of the stem projects out through the cardcloth 10. A separating` wheel '21 serves to space the leaves in relation to each other and to the stemming means. .Part of the body of each leaf passes under carding belt 25 and is gripped between the oardingbelt and the cardi'ng cloth 10 with the end of ,the stein projecting, as shown gripper are opened the stem will'dropout and i A may be removed as seen'ht.` The web of the leaf continues to travel around drum 3 until. it passes under discharge .belt 30 and islheld i between beltslland 30 which willremove'it gently from the carding clothand discharge it on the left side of the machine, as shown inFig.1.

Although 'I have shown and describedi one embodiment of my invention it isvito be under.-

stood thatv the'same is susceptible of various changes, and Ireserve the right tomake and of the appended claims;

What I claim is:

use such of these as may come withinthe scope.

1. In a tobacco ste1nmingmaohine;,a reebeltfion the drum and driV-en thereby atfthe same linear'speed as that of thedruni, a travellingbelt Cooperating there/With, means for feeding` tobacco leaves between said drum and said tra-velling` belt. in spaced relation,to'` each other, reciprocating means adapted to grip volving drum a feed the stem of a tobacco leaf and draw it from the web of the leaf ,while said web is held between said travelling belt and said drumV and beingmoved alongby said feed belt,

2. In atobacco stemming machine, a revolving drum having a carding belt thereon, a travelling cardingbelt c'ooperating therewith, means forfeeding tobacco leaves between said carding belts in spaced relation means ladapted to reciproca'te to each other, at approximately right angles to said drum and in timed relation thereto and to draw, the stem of a leaf from the Web thereof while said web is held betweensaid carding belts.

3. In a tobacco stemming machine, a rebelt cooperatmg p volving drum, a travelling therewith, means for feedmg tobaccoleaVe-s between said drum and said belt 1n` spaced relation to each other, stemming means comprismg an oscillatmg, arm adapted to move m timed relation to said drum and belt, two

pairs of jaws carried 'on said arm anduarranged so that onefpair will draw a ste'm of a leaf approximately half'way outV of the i web and thev other pair of jawswill draw it the remainder of the lway out. of the web.

4. In a stemming'machine, drum equipped with a strip of carding cloth near one `edge thereof, a travelling carding;`

belt positioned so astotraveland cooperat'e a revolving with said strip of carding cloth for part of the'periphery of said drum, means for feedcomprising an arm f and fromthe pathj'of travel of the leaves by. side ing leaves between said cooperating drum o and belt in spacedrelation to'each other, and

oscillating gripping means adapted to grip the'stem of said leaves and draw them from the 'web thereof. i

5.' In a stemming machine, a revolving drum, the periphery' of which is equipped with a strip of carding cloth along one edge thereof,-an endless belt cooperating with an` arc .of the periphery of said drumand equipped 'with carding vcloth adapted to operate in contact with the Voarding vcloth on saiddrum, and stemming'means comprisingl thereto, and grlpping means on said arm comprising two pairs of jaws mounted side and adapted to successively grip a stem and draw it from the web ofV the leaf.

7. In a tobacco leaf stemming machine, a revolving drum, an endless belt cooperating therewith, means for feeding tobacco leaves between said ldrum and belt in spaced relation to each-other and with the ends of the stem thereof projecting on one- 'side from between said drum and belt, stemming means adapted to oscillate to Vpassing between said drum and belt, a `pair w of stem gripping means mounted upon said arm, one of said stem" grippmg means adapt- V ed to pull-the stem part way from the web "71 ofa le'af andthe other to pull'it the remainder of the way upon the next stroke of said oscillating arm awayfrom` said drum and belt. i i v 8. In a tobacco leaf stemmng machine, a

1 revolving drum, an endless belt cooperating therewith, means for feeding tobacco leaves between said drumA and belt in spaced relation to each other' and with the' ends of the stem thereof projecting on one side from between said'drum Vand belt, stemming means comprlsing an oscillatmg arm,.a palrof stem` gripping elements each made up of relatively-movable jaws and a spring adapted to hold 4 said jaws in a closed or open position, means for opening and closing said jaws at predetermined times.. I

9. Ina stemmingmachine, feeding Vmeans adapted to feed tobacco leaves in spaced relation vto each other and to hold the web portion of said leaves with the ends of thestems protruding` ming means comprismg a plurahty of gripfrom said. f'eeding means, stemping` members each adapted to draw the stem only'part way from th'eweb-of the leaf.

10. In a tobacco` leaf stemming machine,

feeding means comprising cooperating movaadapted to'hold the 'body of aV ble elements tobacco leaf therebetween with the end ofthe stem protruding therefrom, stemming means comprising a plurality ofstem gripp-ing elements, means for moving said'elements'to- Ward and away from the path of travel ofsaid leaves as they pass through said feeding means, means for actuating said gripping elements so that each Vwill act on a stem to pull it only part'way from the web of the leaf.

11.l In a tobacco leaf--stemming''machine,

, feeding means comprising` cooperatingmovable elements adapted tohold the body. of va tobacco -leaf therebetween with the end of the stem' protruding therefrom, stemmingmeans comprisingan arm adapted to oscillate 4toward and from said feeding means and in timed relation thereto, a plurality of stem gripping means on said arm adapted to act on a leafin succession each pulling .the stem part way from the web and the last to act on the leaf adapted to remove the stem entirely from the web of the leaf.'

12. In 'a stemming machine, a revolving drum equipped with a stripl of carding cloth near one edge thereof, an endless belt adapted to engage with and travel Varound at least part of the periphery of said drum and'to carry the leaves'to be stemmed thereupon, a' carding belt adapted to cooperate with said strip of'carding cloth, fee'ding means adapted toV feed leaves between said carding belt and saidv strip, 'stemming means comprising a reciprocating member adapted to grip the stems of the leaves and draw them from the web thereof, Vand a disch'arge belt positioned to lcooperate with said endless beltto remove 14'. In a stemming machine, a stripping 'i means comprising movable cooperating members, and stemming means comprising a reciprocatlng element with a palr of grlpplng membersmounted thereon so as to act in suci cession upona leaf, the first tooperate upon the leaf being adapted to only partly remove'V the` stem from the web and the second to entirely disengage the stem andV web.

'15. Ina tobacco stemming machine, a re-` volving drum, lineally moving feed means o0- operating therewith', a reclprocatmg member, a plurahty of gripplng means mounted leo thereon in an ofli'set relation to each other, so as to operate successively upon a stem and draw it from the web of the leaf.

16. In a tobacco stemming machine, a revolving clrum, a travelling belt cooperating i therewith, means for'feeding tobacco leaves between said drum and said belt in spaced relation to each other, gripping means adapted to travel substantially at right angles to the path of travel of said belt and comprising a plurality of offset gripping members adapted to draw the stem from the leaf and each positioned and actuated to perform only part of the complete operation.

17. In a tobacco stemming machine, a revolving drum, a travelling belt cooperating therewith, means for feeding tobacco leaves between said drum and said belt with spaced relation to each other, a reciprocating memher adapted to travel at substantially right angles to the path of travel of the leaves passing between said drum and said belt, and a plurality of grppingmembers mounted on said reciprocating member and oflset different distances from said cooperating drum and belt and adapted to operate in succession upon a leaf, each to perform part of the complete operation of drawing' the stem from the web portion of the leaf. i

Signed at Richmond, in the county of Henrico, and State of Virginia this 26th day of October, A. D. 1928.

JOSEPH JEROME CAUDLE. 

